Kevin
Duala
Interview
He wanted to be a professional footballer more than anything
else but injuries scuppered his plans, however, Kevin Duala still
found fame through his talent for dancing and presenting. Read
all about his fascinating journey that started with being spotted
dancing at youth club discos to meeting Michael Jackson while
starring in West End hit musical, Starlight Express, to presenting
children’s favourite Blue’s Clues.
JE: Could you tell us a bit about your
early life? You know, growing up and
what it was like...
KD: I grew up in Toxteth, Liverpool.
People may know it as a very, very rough
area and I grew up in the time of the
riots. Fortunately, I didn’t get caught up
in any of them due to my strict father,
which was a great thing. That was back
in the early 70s.
I had a normal childhood really. Loved
my football, loved playing for the school.
I had lots and lots of friends but there
was a difficult time where I could have
gone one of two ways. The crowd that I
was hanging around with was made up
of good friends and I had bad friends...
I was very, very fortunate that my dad
was strict and he made sure that I went
down the good path.
JE: Are you from a big family?
KD: Family of four. I’ve got three older
sisters and I am the baby of the family
- but I didn’t get spoilt. I got blamed
for everything actually. It was the total
opposite. All my sisters would say was
“mum, dad, he did it. He did it. He did it.”
JE: So what were you like as a school
boy?
KD: It was hard in the 70s being in
school. I went to an all boys’ school - St
Thomas Beckett. It was difficult because
I wanted to be one of the lads, I wanted
to be seen as a bit naughty but it wasn’t
11